Our partners are living proof that family-based care works in many contexts.
ACE Zambia is our original proof of concept.
ACE Zambia began in 1998 as a partnership between Americans and Zambians responding to the urgent needs of orphaned and abandoned children in the capital city of Lusaka. We opened a crisis nursery called the House of Moses that has since provided temporary shelter to over 1,000 children.
We found that many children had living family who loved them but couldn’t provide for them adequately. We relied on the expertise of local leaders, pastors, and families to identify hunger and social exclusion as root causes of child abandonment.
In response, we expanded our programs prevent disruption and empower communities. Today, ACE Zambia is fully led and run by Zambians who serve more than 3,000 children and their families every year.
The model that became a movement.
Our family-based care model prioritizes child safety and permanency in a secure, loving family. Our recent study shows that family-base care results in more effective operations and better outcomes for the children we serve.
Protect families
in crisis
We preserve a mother or caregiver’s bond with their child through emergency food relief to protect them both from the trauma of disruption.
Restore children
to family
We work to identify a secure, loving, and permanent family for every orphaned and abandoned child through reintegration, fostering, and adoption.
Strengthen communities
We provide education to children and caregivers in order to build self-sustainability and break the cycle of social exclusion.
